Well, in response to Sokoloff’s comment below I did some more reading (the history tab on the linked site), followed by googling. Turns out the designer of this plane died in a crash while testing it. I found a crash report here: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/217844
Note: the prototype is open sourced, not the production plane.
From the linked article: "This [crashed] aircraft was intended to be the production version of the "Stratos" aircraft. The prototype version had successfully flown some 340 hours. The production model incorporated significant changes made by the designer/pilot."
Test-flying unconventional prototype / experimental airplanes, or flying commercially available ultralights? With or without training?
And wingsuits – proximity flying? base jumping? Or just jumping out of a plane?
The risks of those scenarios are magnitudes apart.
Personal aircraft are about as dangerous as motorbikes. Base jumping on the other hand, whether with a wingsuit or not, is one of the most dangerous recreational activities you can do, with a fatality rate of something like 1% per participant per year.
I wonder how much the hat BASE/wing suit stat is exaggerated by the “extreme” culture associated with it. I can’t imagine hobbies airplane builders are immediately doing aerobatics at the first chance they can. Wing suit flyers are famously risk maximizing.
They're extremely overpriced, are persnickety about fuel, and certain manufacturers (Belite, i'll call em out) couldn't care less after your check clears.
If anyone wants a crashed belite in the PNW area, let me know.
